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Sell me on the Disco Era Teen Titans
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Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 17,872
More Polyanna than Poison Ivy
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OP
More Polyanna than Poison Ivy
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 17,872 |
I've been a semi-regular at Legion World for five and a half years. In that time many of you have come to know my tastes in superhero comics pretty well.
I'm very intrigued by the enthusiasm of Lash and others for the Disco Era Teen Titans, but before I make the investment, I want to be sure it would be to my satisfaction. Therefore, I thought I'd list both the reasons why I'm intrigued, and the reasons why I hesitate to take the plunge...
Encouraging: Multi-racial team with lots of female members in generally light-hearted adventures. Sounds like a 70s version of the original Outsiders, a team I love.
Discouraging: The back issues are expensive and the artists are C-listers at best. Too much frivolity can sometimes get on my nerves.
So I ask Lash and other fans of this era:
Do you think I'd like it enough to spend money on it?
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Re: Sell me on the Disco Era Teen Titans
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Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 24,141
Not much between despair and ecstacy
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Not much between despair and ecstacy
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 24,141 |
Although you've been open about your tastes, I'd never presume to know what appeals to another fan. (I don't know what appeals to ME most of the time. ) However, my memories of that era a bit more vivid than those of the late '60s/early '70s Titans. This could be because I was still very young at the time (about 12 when the series resumed) and bought the issues off the stands instead of looking for back issues. I remember the wait between issues and consequent suspense. I remember thrilling as the TT fought actual super-villains such as Dr. Light and Two-Face (a perennial Bat-favorite) instead of solving mysteries featuring one-shot characters as they did earlier. I loved the new team members such as Joker's Daughter/Harlequin and Bumblebee. Yet the old team members were not neglected, save for <span class="spoiler_containter"><span class="spoiler_wording">Click Here For A Spoiler</span><span class="spoiler_text">Aqualad, who spent several issues comatose in a aquarium and being watered by his teammates, only to resign upon awakening. (This was just before the series was canceled again, so his resignation was pretty much for nothing.)</span></span> I never thought of this series as the "disco" Titans, even though that was the era in which it was published and it reflected the trends of the time, as comics always do. To me, it was more of the continuing "Marvelization" of DC, with ongoing subplots, unexpected changes, and interpersonal drama, all welcome changes from the staid earlier story lines. Is this era indispensable to your Titans collection? Probably not. Is it worth a look-see to gauge its entertainment value? Definitely. Hope this helps.
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Re: Sell me on the Disco Era Teen Titans
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Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 17,872
More Polyanna than Poison Ivy
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OP
More Polyanna than Poison Ivy
Joined: Jul 2005
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It definitely does help. Subplots, actual super-villains...definitely enticing. Thanks, HWW.
And...
<span class="spoiler_containter"><span class="spoiler_wording">Click Here For A Spoiler</span><span class="spoiler_text">I don't mind if Aqualad is neglected. I never liked him until the mid-90s when first Peter David and then Phil Jimenez made him cool.</span></span>
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Re: Sell me on the Disco Era Teen Titans
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Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 33,081
Time Trapper
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Time Trapper
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Wow.. this is a toughie... I understand these back issues are rather expensive nowadays.
I'm concerned that the frivolity will get on your nerves. I can say for certain: Bob Rozakis did not write the stories to be frivolous at all, he wrote them to be entertaining which I very much find them to be, even against foes such as Flamesplasher and the Rocket-Rollers. These foes are NOT written to be silly or humorous.
The art in 44 and 45 is best, and then, yes, it takes a more middling turn in 46. Improves again in 49 (Coletta inks actually improved it).
50-52 I would proclaim as must-haves for any TITANS lover-- the historic Titans East/Titans West team-up. Yes it is drawn by Don Heck, but I don't think I would have anyone redraw this story... it shines in my mind very brightly as it is.
The final issue (53) featured a different artist with a more modern (for that era) style.
I am sure really concerned about the expense of these issues.
I am posting lots of samples from this era on my Facebook wall today, though, and even got a comment from Mr. Rozakis himself.
Personally, my pre-teen comic experience would have been a lot less fun without Mr. Rozakis and his Titans, Freedom Fighters and Secret Society of Super-Villains.
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Re: Sell me on the Disco Era Teen Titans
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Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 40,314
Trap Timer
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Trap Timer
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Re: Sell me on the Disco Era Teen Titans
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Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 17,872
More Polyanna than Poison Ivy
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OP
More Polyanna than Poison Ivy
Joined: Jul 2005
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Thank you, Lash and Eryk.
From your description, Lash, it sounds like Rozakis was kind of like Mike W. Barr, where fun is foremost but there's substance below the surface. Barr's Masters of Disaster were one of my favorite super-villain teams, especially the dysfunctional sisterhood of New Wave and Windfall. If Rozakis' villains are cut from similar cloth, there should be no problem.
I think what I'll probably do is focus my search on #50-53 and if I find them at reasonable prices, I'll see where I go from there.
And Lash, I'll be sure to have a look at your Facebook wall later tonight.
Thanks again, all you guys.
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Re: Sell me on the Disco Era Teen Titans
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Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 33,081
Time Trapper
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Time Trapper
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Now that you mention it, Barr's OUTSIDERS draws a bit of a parallel, with foes such as The Nuclear Family and Duke of Oil. It sure does.
It also makes me regret selling off those issues years ago without re-reading them first. I probably would have kept them.
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Re: Sell me on the Disco Era Teen Titans
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Joined: Jul 2003
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Time Trapper
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Time Trapper
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The "middling turn" in art I mention above apparently belongs to issue 47, after re-reading EDE's review.
Coletta's inks carry 48-49 pretty well.
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Re: Sell me on the Disco Era Teen Titans
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Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 17,872
More Polyanna than Poison Ivy
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OP
More Polyanna than Poison Ivy
Joined: Jul 2005
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Yeah. I think the first 24 or so issues of BATO are pure gold. Halo's haircut was the shark jump for me, but just about any issue before that...priceless.
Thank heaven most of those issues were reprinted in the one volume of Showcase Presents BATO.
I just thought of another possible parallel for the Rozakis Titans -- Peter David's Young Justice? I love the great majority of that run.
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Re: Sell me on the Disco Era Teen Titans
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Joined: Jul 2003
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Time Trapper
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Time Trapper
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YJ was blessed with FANTASTIC art, and I love that whole run. Nauck would have rocked OUT on Groovy 70s TT!
One of the things I always liked about 70s TT is that so many of the characters were regular types who relied on gadgets and skills to get by, and not super-powers.
Robin, Mal, Duela, Speedy, Karen, Bette, Gnarrk and Golden Eagle all kinda fall into this category.
And I remember at the time enjoying Cissie's non-powered role in YJ very much and thinking it reminded me of Groovy 70s TT. So yes, I think you are right there as well.
One of my biggest problems with the current run of Titans was the way it handled Kid Devil shortly after he lost his powers and the non-powered Wendy and Marvin. I was too glad to drop that title!!
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Re: Sell me on the Disco Era Teen Titans
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Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 17,872
More Polyanna than Poison Ivy
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OP
More Polyanna than Poison Ivy
Joined: Jul 2005
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Nauck was awesome. He and Amanda Conner are my Top Two "cartoony" artists.
The only real problems I had with YJ were that some of the early issues were a bit lightweight (it definitely turned a corner when Cissie confronted her counselor's killer and subsequently abandoned her costume and arrows) and I didn't like some of the developments that PAD brought it towards the end (Anita's parents reborn as babies, Tim with a second alter ego, and the whole reality-show thing.)
STILL searching for the final two issues of YJ. Heavy sigh.
Goodness, I hope Teeds chimes in. I'd love to know better what she thinks of this Titans era.
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Re: Sell me on the Disco Era Teen Titans
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Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 33,081
Time Trapper
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Time Trapper
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If I'm not mistaken, her experience with this era is pretty much from the boards only. This may have changed in the past few years, but just wanted to warn you in case.
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Re: Sell me on the Disco Era Teen Titans
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Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 17,872
More Polyanna than Poison Ivy
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OP
More Polyanna than Poison Ivy
Joined: Jul 2005
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Thanks for the warning, Lash. It does sound to me like the kind of thing she'd enjoy, though.
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Re: Sell me on the Disco Era Teen Titans
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Joined: Jul 2003
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Time Trapper
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Re: Sell me on the Disco Era Teen Titans
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Joined: Oct 2003
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Legionnaire!
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Legionnaire!
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Posts: 3,205 |
Wow. Tough question. How much are these issues going for?
I can say these issues are among my most prized possessions. I was also 12 years old when I bought them off the rack. They were great fun. Rozakis really was writing for 12 year old boys at the time, and he hit his mark. Can I really recommend them to you all these later? There's just no way they will have the same magic for you.
For the hardcore Teen Titans historian, the introductions of Duela and the Titans West should be of interest. To get the full impact of the Joker's Daughter introduction, you would also need to pick up the Rozakis scripted Batman Family issues that first featured her.
Beauty's where you find it. Not just where you bump and grind it.
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Re: Sell me on the Disco Era Teen Titans
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Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 40,314
Trap Timer
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Originally posted by Jerry: Wow. Tough question. How much are these issues going for?
According to my review thread above, I paid $11.50 and $4.50 for the two issues I bought, but I have no idea if that's typical.
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Re: Sell me on the Disco Era Teen Titans
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Joined: Jul 2003
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Time Trapper
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Time Trapper
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Originally posted by Jerry:
Can I really recommend them to you all these later? There's just no way they will have the same magic for you.
Ultimately, I fear that I agree with this statement.
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Re: Sell me on the Disco Era Teen Titans
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Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 17,872
More Polyanna than Poison Ivy
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More Polyanna than Poison Ivy
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Thanks, Jerry.
There's a lot of stuff from before my time that I really like -- Roy Thomas and Steve Englehart's respective Avengers runs, Jim Shooter's first Legion of Super-Heroes run, Stan Lee & Jack Kirby's Fantastic Four...
And as I said before, I think I'll focus on #50-52, since they're so integral to the Titans mythos and there's so many female characters: Donna, Duela, Karen, Lilith, Bette...
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Re: Sell me on the Disco Era Teen Titans
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Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 3,205
Legionnaire!
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Legionnaire!
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Your reasoning for picking #50 to #52 makes sense. In terms of art, those issues are my least favorites. I never was a fan of Don Heck's style.
One of the best in terms of art and story, for me, is issue #45. Irv Novick's work is stylish and moody. This is the story where Mal receives the mystical Gabriel's horn. With time, this development has has come to be viewed as kind of silly. This is due, in part, to the garish Hornblower costume that was introduced later. The garish costume is thankfully absent from the early stories. The bad guy is realistic with a compelling motivation.
Beauty's where you find it. Not just where you bump and grind it.
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Re: Sell me on the Disco Era Teen Titans
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Joined: Jul 2003
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Time Trapper
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Time Trapper
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While at the CBS yesterday, I flipped through the TEEN TITANS 70s revival back issues... SHOCK.
The lowest priced one was the Fiddler issue ($4) and all the other were like $11, $14 and the most expensive-- $18!
CRAPballs. I should have bought the Fiddler issue even though I already have it in pretty nice condition.
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Re: Sell me on the Disco Era Teen Titans
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Joined: Jul 2003
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Time Trapper
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Time Trapper
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It was interesting to note that the latter issues from the original TT run (late 30s-43) all averaged $3-$4 despite being much older.
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Re: Sell me on the Disco Era Teen Titans
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Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 10,145
Terrifyingly On-Topic.
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Terrifyingly On-Topic.
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 10,145 |
I don't have any of the issues where they're operating out of a disco. Some of the later ones, yes. I'm more fond than I really need to be re: 46. (The Woodworkers! The Flyers!) It's not great, it's not awesomely bad, but it is entertaining. Go figure.
PS: I recall laughing at Ester for shelling out the bucks for 45. I had just found a pretty good copy in a 50 cent box.
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Re: Sell me on the Disco Era Teen Titans
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Joined: Jul 2003
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Time Trapper
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Time Trapper
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I gotta check the basement boxes at my parents now...I got several of these there. Got them all through the quarter boxes...
Active LMB character is still Beast Boy.
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Re: Sell me on the Disco Era Teen Titans
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Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 17,872
More Polyanna than Poison Ivy
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OP
More Polyanna than Poison Ivy
Joined: Jul 2005
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So...I never got around to buying back issues of #50-52. Part of it was that I just couldn't bring myself to shell out big bucks for stories with pencils by Don Heck and inks by a journeyman artist. Another part of it was that I've come to realize in the fairly recent past that, really, most mainstream superhero comics from the later part of the 20th Century are a bit of a "you-had-to-have-been-there" thing. Just as I don't expect everybody to be able to appreciate Armageddon 2001 (my gateway into the DCU) or a considerable chunk of Marvel's early 90s superhero offerings, nor did He Who, Jerry, or our dear departed Lash expect me to be able to appreciate the Bob Rozakis Teen Titans. That's just the way that it is. HOWEVER...I have had my very first couple of Titans fanfic projects, both taking place on Earths from my 7 Worlds of Wonder orrery (HI, THOTH ) simmering on the back-burner for quite some time. Hopefully, by the 2nd week of March, one of them will come to fruition, and here's a taster: Wonder Girl! Lilith! Bumblebee! Bat-Girl! Duela! Robin! Kid Flash! Mal! Aqualad! Speedy! AND... TWO ORIGINAL TITANS CREATED BY MOI, PATRIOT LAD AND JACKIE QUICK!! To sweeten things even further, here's my visual cues for Jackie Quick: Stay tuned.
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Re: Sell me on the Disco Era Teen Titans
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Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 31,399
Tempus Fugitive
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Tempus Fugitive
Joined: Sep 2013
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Did someone say "Orrery"?!
I'm so there.
"...not having to believe in a thing to be interested in it and not having to explain a thing to appreciate the wonder of it."
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Re: Sell me on the Disco Era Teen Titans
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Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 17,872
More Polyanna than Poison Ivy
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OP
More Polyanna than Poison Ivy
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 17,872 |
Did someone say "Orrery"?!
I'm so there. Awwww...thanks.
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Re: Sell me on the Disco Era Teen Titans
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Joined: Jul 2013
Posts: 530
Active
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Active
Joined: Jul 2013
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I was never a huge fan of the SA Titans, but once I discovered this run as an adult, I loved it to bits. I was mainlining 70s JSA and Superman Family, and this felt like a lot of the same energy. Since I wasn't a huge fan of the first run, this is "my" Mal Duncan, as strange, erratic and psychedelic as it was. And the Titans East story let me get to know some of the characters I missed from the first run (although the Baxter era was my real first introduction to Lilith.)
Harlequin was my real fav, which drove me down a Batman Family rabbithole. I've always been a little sad that the character has never really found her feet again after this run.
Listening to the Teen Titans Wasteland coverage of these issues has made me simultaneously a little eager and a little afraid to revisit this run.
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Re: Sell me on the Disco Era Teen Titans
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Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 17,872
More Polyanna than Poison Ivy
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OP
More Polyanna than Poison Ivy
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Thank you for chiming in, Dave.
There are going to be a LOT of Batman Family connections in my fanfic project (placeholder title: "THOSE 70S TITANS"), and I'm particularly looking forward to writing this one...Bat-Girl (BETTE) versus Batgirl (BARBARA) catfight batfight!
I'm also planning a scene where Mal good-naturedly informs his high school teacher, one Jefferson Pierce (hint, hint), that he sounds ridiculous using 60s slang in the 70s.
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Re: Sell me on the Disco Era Teen Titans
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Joined: Jul 2013
Posts: 530
Active
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Active
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Oh, the slang! I'm definitely looking forward to that.
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Re: Sell me on the Disco Era Teen Titans
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Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 17,872
More Polyanna than Poison Ivy
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OP
More Polyanna than Poison Ivy
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Thanks for the vote of confidence, Dave. And wait 'til you see Roy & Ollie getting into a generational argument about what constitutes "funky music."
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Re: Sell me on the Disco Era Teen Titans
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Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 17,872
More Polyanna than Poison Ivy
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OP
More Polyanna than Poison Ivy
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Oh, yeah, that review. Um...
Well, I finally fulfilled my curiosity.
Everything else I want to post is purely subjective.
(Except for the glaring coloring errors. And who was DC's art director at that time? Why, it was Vinnie Colletta! Yet again disproving the very notion of coincidence.)
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Re: Sell me on the Disco Era Teen Titans
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Joined: Jul 2013
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My feelings about that story were that the villains were very subpar for such a huge event, but it was still nice to see pretty much everyone who had ever been of any importance to the Titans (except for Mr. Jupiter) reunite for one last adventure. Plus a couple of new ones, although Golden Eagle never amounted to much in Titans lore, and Bette Kane (Bat-Girl) is only ever trotted out when they try to revive the Titans West concept. I seem to recall her palling around with Gar Logan around the time he reverted to Beast Boy.
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Re: Sell me on the Disco Era Teen Titans
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Joined: Jul 2005
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More Polyanna than Poison Ivy
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OP
More Polyanna than Poison Ivy
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I haven't read any of Bette's appearances other than her guest-star bits in Barbara R-K & Karl K's wonderful "Hawk & Dove" series from back in the day, but I really like her, she's kinda like Marilyn Monroe's screen-persona in spandex, playing the dumb blonde because she thinks it'll help make her aspirations a reality. As for Golden Eagle, he rivalled P. Craig Russell's sexiest 70s drawings of Killraven for sheer semi-clad male hotness. (I like long hair on men. A lot.)
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Re: Sell me on the Disco Era Teen Titans
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I also wonder if that story was responsible for Beast Boy/Changeling's inclusion in the New Teen Titans. Yes, he made one other appearance in the Titans in the silver age, but I'm not sure if he would have even been in Marv Wolfman's mind in 1980 if he hadn't made a Titans-related appearance just a couple of years before.
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Re: Sell me on the Disco Era Teen Titans
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Joined: Jul 2005
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More Polyanna than Poison Ivy
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More Polyanna than Poison Ivy
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Good point. Young "Salad-Head" would probably have ended up being killed off in Crisis or something if not for this appearance.
FTR, Gar was my least favorite of the male members of the original NTT roster, and I could only tolerate him when he was bantering with Victor.
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Re: Sell me on the Disco Era Teen Titans
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I loved Changeling when I was a 9-year-old boy, but his chauvanism (no, let's call it what it is, his sexual harassment) ages HORRIBLY. The only thing worse than his comments are the embarrassment of having once thought it was funny.
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Re: Sell me on the Disco Era Teen Titans
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Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 6,364
Wanderer
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Wanderer
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I have mixed feelings about that story so would not be surprised if you didn't like it FL. Especially as it's part 3 of 3 as I recall, so probably wouldn't make much sense if you haven't read parts 1 or 2.
On the one hand, I loved the Titans West concept that was first introduced in that story (and the first time such a concept had been used in all of comics, or so I've read).
And I love, love, love the 15 characters that made up the Titans in that issue (add Aquagirl and you've got my favourite group of Titans of all time; one of life's great tragedies is that we only ever got to see them together in two stories - this one and a flashback story during the mid-Baxter period - and neither were very good).
I loved the 'Titans Together' team photograph that appeared at the end of this issue too. I wish we'd seen call-backs to it in later comics over the years.
But as far as I recall, everything else about this story sucked. The villain/s were completely forgettable. The art was terribly lackluster. The attempt to recreate the famous JLofA style of splitting the team into smaller groups to go off and fight different menaces fell completely flat when we didn't even see what half the groups did (if I'm remembering that right?). The characterisation was pretty flat. All in all, it just didn't feel like much effort was put into it beyond the interesting idea for the sister-team on the West Coast. It's no surprise to me that this title was cancelled literally one issue later.
I'm not quite sure if this counts as the "Disco Era Teen Titans" since it was before the introduction of Joker's Daughter and Bumblebee and those more 70s concepts (but well after the introduction of the team's disco clubhouse so I would assume it does) but my favourite period from the pre-Wolfman/Perez era was when the team went on Scooby-Doo-style mystery-solving adventures circa Teen Titans #s 32-43. The moody and expressive art from the always amazing Nick Cardy was perfect, and the stories, with their focus on ghosts and witches and demons and spirits, were such an entertaining departure from literally every other Titans stories I've read.
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Re: Sell me on the Disco Era Teen Titans
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Joined: Jul 2005
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More Polyanna than Poison Ivy
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OP
More Polyanna than Poison Ivy
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BFOB*, thank you for saying what needed to be said about Gar.
Blacula, funny you should mention the Scooby-Titans Era, as I happen to have a soft spot for it, for the same reasons you listed. If it had had enough of a sales turnaround for the TT comic and it had continued indefinitely in that vein, who knows what we might have seen. Perhaps Gnaark mutated into a talking dog with a perpetual case of the munchies? No points for guessing who'd fill the Shaggy role to Gnaark's Scoob (*cough* Roy *cough*)
RE: TT issue 52, I agree that it was not a good jumping-on point (though I'd ascribe the blame less to writer Bob Rozakis than to editor JC Harris, who'd just had the title dropped into his lap after Julius Schwartz had left.) There were other problems I noticed, two of the most frustrating having to do with the ongoing Marvel-ization of the DCU at that time. The Titans seem to spend an inordinate amount of pages not only fighting and insulting each other, but doing so without any wit or flair; then there's the Don Heck art -- Heck had been a mainstay at Marvel, so it was only natural that he would have brought the Marvel house style along with him, but it was no reason to phone it in -- and it's also indistinguishable from some of George Tuska's sloppiest, most ham-fisted DC art on Legion and other DC features, as Tuska had been cranking out a lot more pages for Marvel than for DC during the past several years. But here's the irony -- the book that finalized the Marvel-ization would be none other than New Teen Titans, with George Perez still in the process of evolving from an above-average practitioner of the Marvel house style, and the editor/writer team of Len Wein & Marv Wolfman also having spent the past several years at the Marvelous Competition and absorbing the better points of the writing innovations from Claremont, Engelhart, Starlin, Moench, McGregor et al.
*I think we really need to find a nickname for you; I'd suggest Brainy, but that'd depend on your opinion of Querl Dox.
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Re: Sell me on the Disco Era Teen Titans
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Time Trapper
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Time Trapper
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*I think we really need to find a nickname for you; I'd suggest Brainy, but that'd depend on your opinion of Querl Dox.
We could refer to him as our BF...
Still "Lardy" to my friends!
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Re: Sell me on the Disco Era Teen Titans
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Joined: Jul 2005
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More Polyanna than Poison Ivy
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OP
More Polyanna than Poison Ivy
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*I think we really need to find a nickname for you; I'd suggest Brainy, but that'd depend on your opinion of Querl Dox.
We could refer to him as our BF... I like it! Thanks, Lardy. What say you, Mr. Doty?
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Re: Sell me on the Disco Era Teen Titans
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Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 6,364
Wanderer
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Wanderer
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Posts: 6,364 |
Blacula, funny you should mention the Scooby-Titans Era, as I happen to have a soft spot for it, for the same reasons you listed. If it had had enough of a sales turnaround for the TT comic and it had continued indefinitely in that vein, who knows what we might have seen. Perhaps Gnaark mutated into a talking dog with a perpetual case of the munchies? No points for guessing who'd fill the Shaggy role to Gnaark's Scoob (*cough* Roy *cough*)
RE: TT issue 52, I agree that it was not a good jumping-on point (though I'd ascribe the blame less to writer Bob Rozakis than to editor JC Harris, who'd just had the title dropped into his lap after Julius Schwartz had left.) There were other problems I noticed, two of the most frustrating having to do with the ongoing Marvel-ization of the DCU at that time. The Titans seem to spend an inordinate amount of pages not only fighting and insulting each other, but doing so without any wit or flair; then there's the Don Heck art -- Heck had been a mainstay at Marvel, so it was only natural that he would have brought the Marvel house style along with him, but it was no reason to phone it in -- and it's also indistinguishable from some of George Tuska's sloppiest, most ham-fisted DC art on Legion and other DC features, as Tuska had been cranking out a lot more pages for Marvel than for DC during the past several years. But here's the irony -- the book that finalized the Marvel-ization would be none other than New Teen Titans, with George Perez still in the process of evolving from an above-average practitioner of the Marvel house style, and the editor/writer team of Len Wein & Marv Wolfman also having spent the past several years at the Marvelous Competition and absorbing the better points of the writing innovations from Claremont, Engelhart, Starlin, Moench, McGregor et al. Oh was it Don Heck? That's awkward - I know a lot of people don't like him but his artwork on JLofA was some of the earliest American comics art I ever saw so I've always had a soft spot for him. I do agree that when he was bad he was really bad though, as he must have been in this storyline. I totally forgot about the endless annoying bickering too. I wasn't and am still not familiar with the Marvel style of characterisation so I remember that seeming extremely unnatural and unnecessary to me.
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Re: Sell me on the Disco Era Teen Titans
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Joined: Jul 2013
Posts: 530
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Either of those work by me. I'm a believer in the "you don't get to pick your own nickname" school. Not really a huge fan of Don Heck's work, but it's such a part of my childhood that I get a certain nostalgic feeling anyway. It' s very odd.
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Re: Sell me on the Disco Era Teen Titans
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Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 6,364
Wanderer
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Wanderer
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 6,364 |
I've mentioned this around here before but I asked George Perez at a convention once who one of his greatest artistic inspirations was and he answered Don Heck of all people!?!
I would never have thought there were any similarities between their styles (especially since I always associate Perez with his highly detailed backgrounds while I'm not sure Heck even included backgrounds half the time haha) but Perez particularly praised Heck's panel layouts and clear storytelling ability, an art he said many modern splashy 'pin-up' style artists had not mastered. (I immediately thought of David Finch whom I consider one of the worst draftsmen in comics today.) I'm going to pay closer attention to that aspect of Heck's work next time I do a re-read.
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Re: Sell me on the Disco Era Teen Titans
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Joined: Jul 2013
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I have no visual artistic skills at all, so I probably miss all kinds of subtle things artists pick up from one another. I also would not have seen Heck as a Perez influence. That said, I'm not sure which GA or SA artists I would expect to be an influence on him.
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Re: Sell me on the Disco Era Teen Titans
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Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 29,245
Time Trapper
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Time Trapper
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I'm not familiar with Heck's Teen Titans work but had been underwhelmed by a variety of fill-in work he did on various Marvel titles in the '70s. However, I recently discovered his run as regular artist on the Avengers between Kirby and John Buscema and really loved his work on those stories and characters. I was really surprised. If Perez was influenced by that work, I can't fault him.
Still "Lardy" to my friends!
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Re: Sell me on the Disco Era Teen Titans
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Joined: Jul 2005
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More Polyanna than Poison Ivy
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OP
More Polyanna than Poison Ivy
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The thing about Heck's Silver Age Avengers run is that he was blessed with good inkers for a considerable portion of it:
- Dick Ayers, I feel, was merely functional, but acceptable.
- Wally Wood's style, OTOH, fit Heck's pencils like a hand in glove.
- John Romita Sr made Heck look more like Romita than Heck, but I love Romita's style, so I see it as a win-win.
- Frank Giacoia was probably the perfect middle ground for Heck, between his inks being unobtrusive and his making Heck's lines cleaner, smoother, and curvier.
- I didn't like the way Heck looked with him doing his own inks.
And I don't remember most of the inkers he had at DC, except for Brett Breeding, one of the most underappreciated inkers of the 80s and 90s, who inked one, maybe two, of Heck's JLA issues.
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Re: Sell me on the Disco Era Teen Titans
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More Polyanna than Poison Ivy
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More Polyanna than Poison Ivy
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Due to an unfortunate set of circumstances, "Those 70s Titans" has been delayed until at least the beginning of Spring 2017. Sorry.
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Re: Sell me on the Disco Era Teen Titans
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Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 220
Reservist
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Reservist
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 220 |
Don Heck was one of those artists who really needed the right inker for his art to shine. I remember him taking over Flash in the late 70's. I don't remember the inker, but at the time I hated the art.
But Don Heck did a nice run on Wonder Woman to close out the original title circa CoIE, and I was really impressed with his work. I wish I could remember who the inker was. I'm not sure but he might have inked himself in some issues.
Back to Titans - DC is releasing a Bronze Age Teen Titans omnibus this summer that will include all of the 70's revival issues along with some of the crossover issues from Batman Family that featured Robin, Bat-Girl, and Joker's Daughter/Harlequin.
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Re: Sell me on the Disco Era Teen Titans
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More Polyanna than Poison Ivy
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More Polyanna than Poison Ivy
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THOSE 70S TITANS Special Preview
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Re: Sell me on the Disco Era Teen Titans
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Joined: Dec 2003
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Wanderer
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Wanderer
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 6,364 |
For those who want to see the 70s Titans in all their disco grooviness but can't afford the expensive back-issues, Amazon Prime is having a sale on all/most(?) of their DC Omnibuses at the moment. The Bronze Age Teen Titans Omnibus is going for $61.02 (down from $125). https://www.amazon.com/Teen-Titans-...;linkId=16274727b7fda069d756bf4372d61698Other Omnibuses (including the first ever Legion one!) are going for even cheaper than that.
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Re: Sell me on the Disco Era Teen Titans
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Joined: Jul 2005
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More Polyanna than Poison Ivy
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OP
More Polyanna than Poison Ivy
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The public library circuit in the county where I live is exceptionally good, so hopefully they'll get in the Teen Titans Bronze Age Omnibus.
And, while I don't usually like to beg & plead, I'd love it if at least one or two people would weigh in on that Donna & Lilith fanfic vignette I linked to above.
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Re: Sell me on the Disco Era Teen Titans
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Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 6,364
Wanderer
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Wanderer
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I just read it and it's a cute little scene FL! A bit plot-light for me but if you've most recently been writing a big cosmic Legion/New Gods epic then I can understand why you needed the change of pace! Always fun to see Lilith getting some well-deserved spotlight too! It's such annoying cosmic irony that she and Mal and Karen (three of my fave DC characters ever) get this push from DC after I've sworn off the company for good. Scrolling through that page it looks like you're putting a lot of work/effort into that Earth 7 universe too. I wish I had the capacity to be that creative!
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Re: Sell me on the Disco Era Teen Titans
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Joined: Jul 2005
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More Polyanna than Poison Ivy
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More Polyanna than Poison Ivy
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Thank you so much, Blacula. It really means a lot to me. The comments are what make all the effort worthwhile, and I'm sure my fellow Bits contributors would concur.
Once I finally get the "Those 70s Titans" fanfic thread rolling (hopefully this summer), I plan to do a story spotlighting Lilith. She goes to see her counselor, only for the patient ahead of her to turn out to be...Junie Moon. Needless to say, hysteria & hilarity shall ensue.
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Re: Sell me on the Disco Era Teen Titans
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Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 6,364
Wanderer
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Wanderer
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 6,364 |
^ haha That's a good idea!
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Re: Sell me on the Disco Era Teen Titans
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Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 17,872
More Polyanna than Poison Ivy
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OP
More Polyanna than Poison Ivy
Joined: Jul 2005
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